Whole Roasted Cauliflower

I can’t remember where I first saw Whole Roasted Cauliflower but after seeing it again over on Bon Appétit, I knew it was time to get down to business. I’m a big fan of a fantastic veggie side dish, roasted potatoes and roasted broccoli are frequent players in my dinner rotation – and this cauliflower dish is officially added to my list. It’s beyond. I’m totally digging it.

You start by boiling the head of cauliflower in a big pot with wine, water, herbs, spices and olive oil. Once it’s par-cooked, throw that sucker in the oven and roast it until almost the entire outside layer is charred. It’s gorgeous and you’re just going to want to stare at it for hours. That’s what I did, and I almost didn’t eat it because I didn’t want to destroy my piece of art. But I got over that real quick and dug in.

This Whole Roasted Cauliflower gets even better because it has a super addictive Roasted Red Pepper Goat Cheese Sauce that gets drizzles on top. The sauce then soaks into the cauliflower and the rest is pretty much history. This one is NOT to be missed!

In a blender or food processor, combine the olive oil roasted red bell peppers, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, pepper, and vinegar. Blend for 1-2 minutes until the ingredients become smooth. Add the goat cheese and blend for another minute until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

I made this last night and it was amazing! The only change came from subbing in 1 cup of sherry and adding, as I didn’t have enough white wine. The end result was beautiful to look at. Though I may quarter the head before roasting in the future to get browning on more surface area. Every little bit of char and sauce was sublime.

I took the time to make this (and yes, it takes some time) and it was AMAZING! I am an omnivore with significant carnivore leanings and this was just as satisfying and delicious as a prime piece of steak. This 100% gets added to the recipe books and is a must for any vegetarian friends. Thank you for sharing this!

I’m intrigued by this recipie, I use cauliflower often, steamed with parsnips and smashed with sour cream, crushed and raw in a lightly curried potato salad, I also love roasted vegtables. I’ll try this next week, and I’m concerned about the cooking time. It seems like 20 minutes in boiling liquid followed by a 40 minute roast at 475 deg. would result in an uncomfortably soft cauliflower…